SC State addresses campus safety after Tuesday shooting

ORANGEBURG, SC (WOLO) — This week, a SC State student was charged with attempted murder -accused of shooting another student in a dorm room.

Police say 19-year-old Roland Ifill Jr. shot the victim after a verbal altercation on the 2nd floor of Hodge Hall.

“My number one priority is to ensure a safe environment,” said Col. Alexander Conyers, South Carolina State University president.

SC State is working to obtain a gun-sniffing dog who is set to arrive on campus in the next month.

“Every student on this campus knows that this is a gun-free campus,” Conyers said. “Every student knows that  if they are caught with a weapon, they will not sleep in their bed that night.”

Over at Gate 5 at the Chestnut Street entrance to South Carolina State University, a new guard shack is being constructed. It’s just one of many security measures on campus, including more than 700 cameras that have been installed in the past couple of years.

“We have 14 sworn officers,” Conyers said. “Campus police and additional security is on campus 24 hours a day.”

Even with security measures, students say that Tuesday’s shooting has them feeling a little cautious. 

“I usually walk around with headphones in my ears,” said SC State sophomore student Terryn Patterson. “Now, I’m on my P’s and Q’s to make sure nothing happens to me.”

However, Patterson says he feels safe overall on campus. 

“People have their beef with certain groups but that’s everywhere,” the sophomore said. “For the most part, I feel like there’s a real togetherness.”

Freshman student Tori White disagrees. 

“I feel like this campus has potential to be safe, but because there’s so many kids from different backgrounds, they’re trying to fit in,” White said.

She says this sometimes leads to violent incidents on campus. 

“I feel like in our generation, the males feel like they have to put on a strong front and be a man. Sometimes being a man doesn’t include violence,” White said. “The incident that happened could have been prevented by a simple conversation or by being a bigger person overall.”

President Conyers says any student found with a gun at SC State will be charged with carrying a firearm on school property.